Method of decorating glass



(No'MbdeL) G. W. MARTIN. METHOD OF DECORATING GLASS.

Patented Jan. 13, 1891.

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' UNITED STATES PATENT @rricm GEORGE MARTIN, OF BOQTON, MASSACIIUSE'I"S.

METHCD OF DECORATING GLASS SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 444,797, dated January 13, 1891.

Application filed March 29, 1889. Renewed June 14, 1890. Serial No. 855,511. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, GEORGE N. MARTIN, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of h'lassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Decorating Glass, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in Which Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view, and Fig. 2 is a crosssection on line :1: 5c of Fig. 1.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved method of ornamenting glass; and it consists in forming designs on smoothsurfaced glass by cutting away or removing portions of the smooth surface by any suitable method whereby the portions acted on will be slightly roughened as compared with the ordinary smooth surface of blown or pressed glassware, as by etching, grinding, or by the sandblast, leaving portions of the glass surface smooth and transparent, and then applying a coat of metallic leaf or foil to the surface thus treated, the said metallic foil presenting a brilliant or lustrous surface where it bears on the smooth portions of the glass and a non-lustrous surface where it bears on the cut-away or roughened portions, the result being an attractive ornamentation composed of the lustrous and non-lustrous surfaces when viewed through the glass.

The invention also consists in applying to the outer surface of the metallic coating a protecting coat composed of a thin silverwhite glaze applied in liquid form, the metallic coat and the protecting coat thus applied being both so thin that the aggregate thickness of the two coatings does not hide the configuration of the ornamentation on the glass, said configuration appearing in re lief on the outer surface of the protecting coat, so that both sides of the article are ornamented. The nature of the outer protecting-coat and of the inner metallic coat is such that they Will'not be dissolved by heat. Hence the ornamentation is durable and not liable to be detracted from by the use to which the ornamented article is put when said article is the globe or bulb of an electric lamp or any other article which in its ordinary use is exposed to heat.

In carrying out my inventionI take an electrio-lamp globe a or any other article to be ornamented and by any suitable process-such as the sand-blast, or by etching, grinding, engraving, &c.I remove parts of the smooth surface or skin of the glass, the configuration of the parts removed being of any desired design. After carefully Washing and drying the portion thus acted on I apply thereto with a soft brush a thin film or coating of a tenacious transparent or colorless fluid of a volatile nature, and upon this film, before the latter has time to evaporate, I lay a sheet or sheets of silver leaf or foil, employing as many sheets or pieces as are necessary to cover the engraved surface. The metallic leaf or foil is caused by the said adhesive film to adhere so closely and strongly to the sur face of the glass as to give the portions bearing on the smooth surface of the glass a brilliant luster Without the aid of mechanical pressure and friction, the said adhesive film having an effect to draw or bind the foil closely against the surface of the glass and thereby give the inner surface of the foil the same luster and brilliancy that are produced by burnishing pressure applied externally. The parts of the foil that bear on the engraved portions of the glass are given there by a silvery non-lustrous finish, which makes a very pleasing contrast with the lustrous portions.

When the frail and delicate nature of an incandescent lamp bulb is considered and the impracticability of applying burnishing pressure to a coating of foil thereon on account of the danger of breaking the bulb, the value and importance of the use of an adhesive film as the means for uniting the foil to the glass and producing the intimate contact necessary without burnishing pressure will be apparent.

In applying the pieces of foil care should be taken to cause the edge or edges of the successive pieces to overlap the edges of the pieces already applied, so that there will be no breaks in the continuity of the reflectingsurface. After the metallic coating is. applied, as above described, and is thoroughly dry by the evaporation of the volatile prop erties of the adhesive coating, I rub a soft and at the same time anneal the glass. After this the glass is allowed to cool gradually, the coating being thus completed. The coatingthus applied presents a bright silver color on its external surface, which, in connection with the relief ornamentation greatly, adds to the beauty and attractiveness of the article, the silvery exterior being more desirable to the eye than the dark japan or other protective coatings that have been used heretofore to protect metallic foil on glass.

V Thecoatingapplied bymyimp'roved method Will stand great heat Without discoloration and is extremely durable and tenacious, so that the article may be Washed freely Without injury to the coating.

In case the article coated is to be subjected to a high degree of heat in its ordinary use the special heating operation above mentioned may be dispensed with.

The improved method of ornamenting glass herein described is not necessarily confined to incandescent-electric-lamp globes, although this is its particular design.

I claim 1. The method hereinbefore described of ornamenting glass, the same consisting in engraving the surface of the glass and thereby.

forming a design comprising both the smooth and the roughened or engraved portions of the glass and then applying metallic foil to said engraved surface, as set forth.

2. The method hereinbefore described of ornamenting glass, the same consisting in engraving the surface of the glass and thereby forming a design comprising both the smooth and the roughened or engraved portions of the glass, then applying metallic foil to said engraved surface. and finally applying a silver-White glaze or protective coating to the back of the coating of metallic foil, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 26th day of March, A. D. 1889.

GEORGE W. MARTIN.

Witnesses:

O. F. BROWN, ARTHUR W. CRossLEY. 

